Point proven but Mateusz Klich still has unfinished business with Leeds United

Talent, fitness and even what is becoming known as ‘Klich-housing’ – the art of being very good indeed at winding opponents up.

All in all, it means the 29-year-old Polish international is loving life at Elland Road nearly three years on from his switch from FC Twente.

Yet, by the time his fourth year is in full swing, the Pole hopes he will be even happier still with ‘sleeping giant’ Leeds United in the Premier League.

Klich, it could be argued, is currently experiencing a well-earned break as the football season continues on hold amidst the country’s battle against coronavirus.

But, despite playing a staggering 85 consecutive league games, there were no signs of battery levels draining in United’s most recent outings, culminating with the 2-0 win at home to Huddersfield Town on March 7.

Another place in Marcelo Bielsa’s matchday XI continued the unbroken sequence of Klich starting every Championship game since the Pole announced his return from a loan spell at FC Utrecht with a bang in the 3-1 win at home to Stoke City on August 5, 2018.

Klich had been deemed surplus to requirements under former boss Thomas Christiansen six months into his first season at Leeds with the midfielder shipped out to the Eredivisie to gain game time with Utrecht.

The irony is that two years after his return, no Whites player has featured more.

There is, though, says Klich, no real secret to his success with the Pole only doing what comes naturally in more ways than one and now targeting the next chapter in his Elland Road success story.

Speaking as part of Deliveroo’s #Ask series with Leeds United, Klich was quizzed on how he had managed to play 85 games in a row and smiled: “Luck. No, I don’t know. I’ve no idea.

“I’ve not been injured, that’s a big thing and everything besides that, I try to rest, I try to recover as much as possible and just enjoy the training sessions and the games and that’s it.

“I think injuries is a big part, because, obviously, if you’re injured you can’t play so I just make sure I’m fit for the games and I’ve played quite a lot of consecutive games and I never thought I would so I’m enjoying it at the moment.

“If you’re winning games, you don’t really think about tiredness. You just keep playing games. We look very good and that’s why I enjoy playing games more than training sessions.”

Reflecting on just how determined he was to prove his worth after being sent out on loan, Klich admitted: “I was very determined.

“I just wanted to make sure that I came back and proved some people they were wrong.

“I was basically forced to go away because I had no chance to play anymore. As a football player, the only thing you want is to play games.

"I just agreed on everything and just went on loan and tried to be on good form and play good at Urtrecht which I did. Then I came back to Leeds by chance and I proved that someone was wrong.

“I said to Angus [Kinnear] as he said in the match programme that I told him I had unfinished business. I told him I could play here but I didn’t have the chance to prove myself and that’s why I really wanted to come back.”

Eighty-five games later, Klich and Leeds have put themselves in pole position to finally seal a return to the Premier League and give the club top-flight football for the first time since 2004.

Klich was 14 years old when the Whites were relegated from the elite tier but the midfielder knew all about the Premier League growing up in Poland and beginning his youth career with Tarnovia Tarnów before moving to first club Cracovia.

The Pole then signed for Bundesliga side Wolfsburg in June 2011 before a first taste of the Dutch League followed with PEC Zwolle, initially on loan.

A return to Wolfsburg was next followed by the switch to Kaiserslautern and then back to Holland with Twente from whom Leeds swooped to land the midfielder’s services.

In signing for the Whites, Klich became director of football Victor Orta’s first signing for the club with Orta initially looking to sign Klich at Middlesbrough.

Ten years after making his pro’ debut, taking the Whites back to the Premier League is now the next step to provide even more happiness in Klich’s flourishing career.

Reflecting on how it felt to be playing for Leeds, Klich beamed: “It’s a great feeling. That’s why I signed a new contract, I am happy here.

“It’s a massive club and the fans are unbelievable, especially when they travel with us in big numbers. It feels like a big club.

“I have a friend who played in England and when he knew that I was coming here he said I was a lucky guy because Leeds is a sleeping giant and it was a massive club.

“I would love to go to the Premier League with Leeds as well.

“In Poland I think the Premier League is the most-watched football league in our country and I remember watching the Premier League when I was a kid.

“The Premier League is a big thing all over the world. Everyone knows the Premier League so I remember watching the Premier League as well.

“Obviously Leeds is a big club so when I got the offer my agent didn’t need to tell me anything about Leeds. I knew. The first time I walked out at Elland Road I played against Newport in the cup so it wasn’t full and wasn’t as great as later on.

“But then my first game the next season was against Stoke and I even scored in that first game.

“It’s great and when Elland Road is packed I didn’t think there are many stadiums with such a nice atmosphere in the stadium and I like to feel the pressure from fans as well because it keeps you going, so I enjoy it.”

Klich’s opponents, though, rarely feel the same enjoyment though the Pole says there is no real pre-planned thought into winding up his opposite numbers.

Quizzed as to what is becoming known as ‘Klich-housing’, the midfielder smiled: “It comes natural.

“I don’t really think about it before. I did some stupid things, but I never talked about them, I just did them.”

Asked in particular about squirting water at Bolton midfielder Joe Williams, Klich said coyly: “It just came naturally.

“I went for water and I saw he was a little bit het up, so I wanted to cool him down and that was it.”

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